Sixteen dancers are gearing up to take their place in local history as “Mohawk Presents Calhoun’s Dancing with the Stars” organizers focus on breaking the glass ceiling for Gordon County fundraisers. What promises to be the party of the year will begin with a pre-event reception at Velo Vineyard and the contest itself begins when the curtain opens at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the historic GEM Theatre. Benefiting both United Way of Gordon County and Friends of the GEM, all eight dance teams are scrambling to perfect their routines as the competition heats toward a full boil.

Stella Bailey and Jimmy Phillips are the third team on the program bill, dancing to “Your Mama Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock and Roll”, a Kenny Loggins dance standard. Bailey and Phillips are expected to rock the baby boomers but nobody will fall asleep as this dynamic duo shakes up the dance competition.

Bailey is a local celebrity, known throughout Gordon County for her dancing skills and is a natural entertainer with years of performance experience. She operates a personal coaching business, focusing on young people just beginning their collegiate and professional careers. A former beauty queen, she is married to Calhoun City Attorney Bill Bailey, has two sons, William and Palmer, and is a grandmother of three. Bailey is dancing in honor of Helene McCall and Pearl King, two of her personal heroes.

Phillips is the President of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce and the Development Authority of Gordon County. An accomplished businessman with a world of experience under his belt, he served as mayor of Alpharetta sixteen years before moving to Calhoun and beginning his Chamber work. He is married to Evelyn Phillips, with whom he has one daughter, Kristin Phillips. No stranger to the dance floor, Phillips has no formal training but is known to dance at the drop of a hat.

Hanna Dean and Chip Sloan are the only father-daughter team dancing in Mohawk Presents Calhoun’s Dancing with the Stars. The duo will be dancing to a medley of classics, including “Mustang Sally, American Pie and Sweet Caroline” as they shimmy, slide and sashay across the stage to a medley of American classics.

Dean has years of dance training—some of it received from fellow contestant LaRae Pennel—and is co-owner of the baxter/dean studio in downtown Calhoun. A University of Georgia graduate, she operates Hanna Dean Makeup. She is married to Chase Dean, with whom she has three sons: 3-year-old Jack and infant twins, Judd and John.

Sloan has virtually no dance experience but thought dancing with his oldest daughter for two good causes would be a fun challenge. A Georgia Tech graduate who serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Tom B. David Airport, he enjoys building aircrafts and flying. He is an active member of First Baptist Church, where he serves on the building committee and as an usher. Married to his childhood sweetheart, Sandy Sloan, he owns and operates West Yellow Knife Trading Post. His younger daughter, Holli, is married to Eric Jones and has an infant son, Jake. With four grandsons under four, Sloan thought he might need some practice on his feet.

Bailey, Phillips, Dean and Sloan are dancing to raise funds for two organizations they all consider important to Gordon County. Those wishing to support the teams individually or the event in general may offer their contributions online at the United Way of Gordon County website (www.gordoncountyunitedway.org) or by presenting their donations at the United Way Office at the Calhoun Depot. All donations will be used for the benefit of Gordon County.